County approves bus barn purchase

LEXINGTON—Dawson County Public Transit vehicles will be safe and sound inside a bus barn before too long.

County commissioners authorized the purchase of a building at 605 Plum Creek Parkway during their regular bimonthly meeting on Dec. 15.

The $127,000 cost of the building and any upgrades necessary to make it handicap accessible will be covered by a $200,000 federal stimulus grant, according to public transit director Bar bHollenbeck.

“This is a major thing for Dawson County,” Hollenbeck said. “It means our buses will start in the winter without having to scoop snow off of them and it means they will last longer.”

Hollenbeck said county commissioners and public transit officials have been working to get a bus barn for quite some time.

Whether the public transit office moves from the Lexington Grand Generation Center into the new building or not will depend on how far the stimulus money goes, Hollenbeck said.

No timeline has been set.

In other action, the county board agreed to allow Federal Employee Benefits to offer volunteer insurance policies to county employees.

The FEB program, similar to AFLAC’s supplemental insurance, has been available to federal employees for years but with state and other governmental employees recently added.

County clerk Karla Zlatkovsky said the plan offers a lump sum payment at diagnosis of cancer or several other debilitating diseases.

All premiums paid are returned, she said, if no claims have been filed in 20 years.

Mark Headrick of FEB will set up presentation times to employees. The benefit is offered to employees at no cost to the county.

In other business, commissioners:

heard from zoning administrator Pam Holbrook that the county’s zoning regulations will need updated by the end of 2011. She said she is uncertain of the cost but the process is required every 10 years.

spoke with Jessica Whalen, a community liaison for Re. Adrian Smith, during a courtesy stop. Commissioners expressed frustration with stimulus funding, specifically for roads projects, and also discussed the cap and trade issue.

performed the quarterly jail visitation.

continued a workshop to gather information before setting elected officials’ salaries. The salaries are set every four years and the process must be complete by Jan. 15. Zlatkovsky said the salaries are likely to be an agenda item Dec.31.

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